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Up Your Tarot Practice: The Key to Memorizing Any ...

Up Your Tarot Practice: The Key to Memorizing Any Tarot Deck

spiola tarot the houe of twigs thot queen meb memorization tricks tips erika fortner

Next week, on June 6th, we begin the last one of these for the year, my Tarot Meanings and Memorization Course at my store Queen Meb. This is one of those classes that I really enjoy but is also physically demanding. I have to lecture the whole time and occasionally answer questions, but more importantly I am helping people commit their tarot meanings to long-term memory. It is a BYOBeverage event, and you get to learn with friends or a fun group of people instead of sitting home alone with flashcards and stressing yourself out. I think making a positive learning environment helps facilitate people to remember details better.

I started teaching this class because during my Intuitive Tarot Classes, people were really upset about not remembering their cards (even after many years). I thought about how I was able to commit the cards to memory and to be honest there are so many aspects that one can approach. How we can tackle this has to do with you as a student, how you like to learn, and of course how you learn best. Tarot is like a language, so practice and daily use goes a long way. But, there are a few tricks you can use that I would like to share from my class structure.

I find it really important you bring your own deck. It should not be the deck that everyone says you should use, or the one that is commonly taught (Rider Waite), unless you prefer working with that deck. Looking at your own deck during the class means you are using the symbols and stories you are seeing during your own readings and hopefully the energy of the cards you prefer to work with. This will allow you to both commit your own deck to memory, but help include the visual aspect of learning. I also provide extensive paperwork with an example from a tarot deck (likely one you have not seen) with a reason why it is an interesting or perfect interpretation of the card being discussed.

I go over all of the symbolism in a traditional tarot card as well as one that I have selected and give them a little nickname to help you commit it to memory. Do you remember something as early as a kindergarten rhyme? My approach to memorizing tarot focuses on using all of our senses that we can to help our brain commit the meanings to long-term but don’t undervalue something simple like a silly name or scenario.

Ideally, each person will be looking at each card individually and finding a personal story with the imagery. There is always a chance to ask questions or help identify some of the symbolism. This is important because mixing a visual experience with an audible experience, then creates a personal experience with new people and a unique discussion. This is all of the senses that we can combine to help commit it to memory. Visual, audible, a moment in time helped by a short discussion or experience with a person.

Next time you want to work on tarot memorization, try some of these tricks with a group of friends, or take my in-person class, or upcoming online course!


Get Personal with Tarot:

Grab your own tarot deck and find the Queen of Pentacles. No matter your deck, you can almost always find symbolism in it where you can imagine a little story to go along with it. Here we will be using some of the common Rider Waite symbolism compared to a newer deck. If you have a Marseille Deck or something a bit more abstract else you may have to get a little bit more creative when dealing with the 1-10 suit cards and creating a little story to go along with each. But, it can be done and it works.

starchild tarot queen of pentacles tarot the house of twigs thot erika fortner

Queen of Pentacles Here we can see the Queen of Crystals, AKA The Queen of Pentacles from the Star Child Tarot Deck.

*Being a Pentacles, or coins suit, the interpretation with be set as a personality type but try to keep it in relationship to physical health, career, money, or what we sort of refer to as 3-D world thinks. Keep this in mind when you use the meaning of the card in its position. If the reading is about a relationship, how could the definition apply to this 3-D world explanation?

The Queen of Pentacles aligns with the Earth and Taurus. If you know anything about Astrology, Taurus is all about the physical manifestation of the aspects of Venus, including support, excess of pleasure in the realms of food, the home and things. She can also be stubborn direct, or the “Bull in the China Shop”.

Here we see a woman holding a crystal sphere with ease. She admires her crystal but has a collection in front of her. There is the otherworldly planet-scape behind her that brings our attention to the lushness of her things in the card, and not the location. We also see a tiger just hanging out there like it’s totally normal to be chilling on a deserted planet admiring crystals. Obviously the tiger is relaxed by the woman and she has somehow tamed this wild cat.

I myself find the Rider-Waite tarot to be outdated and have poor meanings but the symbolism has become easier for people to interpret and is the most widely used. For that reason we reference the symbolism that can be seen in the cards, but I personally don’t use the Rider Waite for interpretation. It is negative towards women and I often disagree with the authors interpretations. I think we can find many other decks that are inclusive and have a better, socially relatable understanding of things.

Now compare your card to the one picture here. How do they relate? How are they different?

Queen of Pentacles: Symbolism

We would commonly see a single woman sitting on a throne holding a large coin that shows her material wealth. Here her throne is on the ground (connected to the earth, and her coin here is a crystal sphere instead).

Commonly she has some sort of elaborate throne with lush gardens or a palace in the background. (This is to represent her power and social status, being surrounded by the finer things in life.)

Often you may see an animal on the ground, typically a rabbit that is meant to symbolize abundance. Here we see the tiger instead, which I would interpret more as abundance, but beyond someone’s normal income. No standard bunny, or cat for this lady.

How does your card differ from the traditional symbolism?

Queen of Pentacles: Interpretations

Upright meaning – A motherly card, with practical energy. Balanced in all things material similar to the traits known as Taurus. Are you creating this balance and security? She is the ultimate balance of prosperity and security while still being able to enjoy the finer things in life. She is compassionate and nurturing but also level-headed and good with business.  Her nickname here is to be remembered as “motherly“. How do you find this in relationship to the symbolism in your card?

Reversed meaning – “Motherly” has taken on an unbalanced aspect. There is worry about financial matters, concern about family, financial independence. As a role in the family she my have become that over-bearing mom quality. Detail oriented, to the extreme, nit-picky, and all up in your business. That unbalanced aspect is now ‘smotherly’ instead of ‘motherly’.

Motherly/Smotherly – Earth and Taurus

I hope some of this information helps you on your tarot journey, try to get creative and think outside of the box with your tarot practice. You will thank yourself for it and create a very personal and rewarding relationship with it. Pictured above is the Spolia Tarot.

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Owner, Product Fabricator, Tarot Reader , The House of Twigs, Keven Craft Rituals, Queen Meb
Head Mistress of THoT, and THoT: the School of Ritual, Owner of Keven Craft Rituals, and q. Meb ~ Queen Meb the Portland witch shop with handmade skincare products, organic goods, tarot, metaphysical items, home & hearth decor, A practicing eclectic-solitary witch, she works with energy healing / reiki master, psychopomp and psychic work, witch attunements; specializing in tarot and channeling since 1995. Erika rides the cusp of the Alpha / Omega and favors the Morrighan, Isis, Hecate, Freya, and Cernunnos.
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Owner, Product Fabricator, Tarot Reader , The House of Twigs, Keven Craft Rituals, Queen Meb
Head Mistress of THoT, and THoT: the School of Ritual, Owner of Keven Craft Rituals, and q. Meb ~ Queen Meb the Portland witch shop with handmade skincare products, organic goods, tarot, metaphysical items, home & hearth decor, A practicing eclectic-solitary witch, she works with energy healing / reiki master, psychopomp and psychic work, witch attunements; specializing in tarot and channeling since 1995. Erika rides the cusp of the Alpha / Omega and favors the Morrighan, Isis, Hecate, Freya, and Cernunnos.

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